ABOUT US

Executive Summary

The National Network for Healthcare Hygienists (NNHH) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the role of Registered Dental Hygienists (RDHs) as essential partners in integrated, value-based healthcare. The organization's core mission is to facilitate this advancement through specialized workforce development, professional credentialing, and the promotion of sustainable medical-dental integration.

NNHH envisions a future where RDHs are fully integrated into every patient-centered healthcare team, utilizing their complete scope of practice to combat oral-systemic diseases and enhance overall population health.

To achieve this, NNHH focuses on several key areas. We provide advanced, evidence-based training programs that comply with ASTM E2659 standards, positioning RDHs as experts in chronic disease management and collaborative care. The organization also cultivates a supportive professional community, offering resources to empower RDHs to practice confidently in both medical and dental settings. Furthermore, NNHH is committed to establishing a clear credentialing pathway to formally integrate RDHs into hospital and healthcare systems, with a specific focus on improving patient outcomes through the management of oral-systemic health.

2026/27 Priorities     

Workforce Development and Credentialing

1. Maintain the current ASTM E2659 accreditation status for the Oral Systemic Educator Certificate Program™, and continue to collect enough data to achieve accreditation for the Oncology Oral Care Certificate Program™ to ensure the highest standards of educational quality.
2. Develop and publish the Airway & Sleep Medicine Certificate Program™ based on ASTM E2659-24 standards, to equip RDHs with the knowledge and clinical tools to screen, document, and collaborate with an interprofessional sleep-disordered breathing team — a critical and underserved gap in dental professional education confirmed by a 2024 Needs Assessment.
3. Conduct a Hospital Oral Care Needs Assessment to explore the development of a critical workforce training program that prepares RDHs to deliver evidence-based oral health care in hospital and acute care settings, improving patient outcomes and expanding the professional role of dental hygienists in integrated healthcare.
4. Partner with the Oral Health Educator Certification Development (OHECD) Task Force to conduct a Job Task Analysis of dental hygienists working in hospital and healthcare settings, advancing the development of an ISO/IEC 17024 certification program that creates a nationally recognized credential for RDHs in acute and integrated care environments.
5. Create micro-credentials and digital badges that form clear career advancement pathways for RDHs, providing a standardized approach to medical-dental integration that fosters understanding and collaboration across both healthcare sectors.
6. Engage with key healthcare stakeholders to establish pilot programs for RDH employment in acute care settings.
7. Continue to raise the public perception of RDHs as "essential members of collaborative care, ensuring comprehensive, person-centered health solutions," with our white paper, free pdf downloads, blog articles for providers and patients, and a hospital toolkit (in development).

Beyond 2027

1. To partner with allied individuals and organizations that have advanced education to offer, and desire a collaborator with experience building quality certificate programs that meet both AGD PACE and ANAB/ANSI standards.
2. To support a doctorate level degree for RDHs so that we may govern ourselves and meet the current demands for:
1. Qualified dental hygiene educators
2. Integration into complex healthcare systems and medical specialty clinics
3. Advanced oral systemic and dental hygiene research